An Alternate Beginning: The Potter Family
by teelcee
Summary: Voldemort came to the Potters house for one reason, to kill the baby Harry Potter. Instead of killing James first, Voldemort went straight to Harry and as he casts the killing curse Lily and James both interfere. The spell goes haywire and backfires, leav
1. Summary and Prologue

An Alternate Beginning; The Potter Family.

Hi! This is my first Harry Potter fan fic, and it's a little different, if someone out there has already done it, my apologies. Please read and review. I don't mind critisiscm at all, as long as it's not too nasty! I'll post again if I get reviews! Thanks!

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Prologue

Voldemort came to the Potters house for one reason, to kill the baby Harry Potter. Instead of killing James first, Voldemort went straight to Harry and as he casts the killing curse Lily and James both interfere. The spell goes haywire and backfires, leaving little Harry Potter with only a scar, and Voldemort a near dead man. However, in the alternate beginning to my story, Harry not only gains a scar, but his loving parents remain with him, weak, but alive.

This is my version of Harry Potter.

The green stream of light that was rushing forward to the baby Harry Potter was suddenly hit by two blue streams of light, the green stream seemed to grow smaller as it loomed towards the baby. As it hit a place on his forhead it backfired with a deafening crack and headed straight back toward the man who had sent it, Voldemort. As it hit Voldemort square in the heart, screaming, he collapsed in a crumpled heap on the floor. Realising he has been defeated as he hit the floor, he used his remaining strength to flee and was gone with a cracking sound. The two weak bodies of Lily and James were lying together on the floor as their baby screamed. Eventually Lily mustered enough strength to crawl over to her baby. She removed him from his crib and brought him back to her husband as they lay together on the floor. James arms around Lily and the baby, his wife hushing their screaming baby back to sleep, as the news of the nights events slowly began to travel throughout the wizarding world. The couple soon expected Dumbledore to arrive in their presence, all they had to do was use their last remnants of strength to survive, and wait.


	2. The Attack that changed all

Chapter One

As the family huddle together, the news of Voldemorts defeat spread far and wide. As dawn broke the door to the Potter home was gently opened and a tall thin man with a long silver beard, twinkling eyes behind his half moon glasses and elegant robes whispering around his feet entered. He look around the destroyed room and the twinkle in his eyes diminished. Hoping beyond hope that what he found would not be tragic he began to climb the stairs before him. As he reached the top of the staircase he look left, then right, then straight ahead and sighed. Before him were the Potter family. James looked unconscious, but Lily was cradling Harry in her arms with her eyes closed, her breathing was ragged. She slowly looked up at the sudden noise, fear in her eyes, but when she saw who was standing infront of her, relief flooded her pale face.

She made an attempt to stand; "Albus," she barely whispered.

He waved her to sit down. Lily made a motion toward Harry and Dumbledore bent down and swept him into his arms. He was breathing softly and seemed to be alright, apart from the trickle of blood coming from his new scar. Dumbledore moved his fingers over it and the blood cleared away. He lay Harry down in his crib before moving back toward Lily and James. He helped Lily into bed before pulling out his wand and levitating James to the other side of the bed. As he placed James gently down on the bed the door downstairs was ripped open and the voice of a male could be heard yelling up the stairs,

"James? Lily? PRONGS?"

The panicked voice grew louder and louder as did the boomind footsteps on the stairs. Sirius Black's worried face appeared and his tensed body relaxed slightly as Albus Dumbledore turned to face him, raising one finger toward his mouth, hushing Black. However, as Black looked beyond Dumbledore and saw his best friend's weak body perched up in the bed he rushed over.

"I only just heard, got here as fast as I could. Is they alright?" Black jumbling all his words together looked up at Dumbledore.

"Yes, it appears that the baby is alright, apart from a nasty scar on his forehead given to him by no other than Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore replied calmly.

"What? NO! Voldemort surely didn't try to attack little Harry?" Black spoke astonished as he raced over to Harry's crib and picked up the sleeping baby that lay inside. Like Dumbledore's, his hand moved to the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. Realising that the baby was breathing and sleeping soundly, Sirius moved softly back toward his friends.

"Is James and Lily going to be alright? What's wrong with them, why aren't they waking up?" Sirius questioned as he squeezed James sholdour rather tightly.

"Sirius! Be gentle. You have no idea what they have just been through. I did indeed when I heard believe them all dead when I first heard. I got here as fast as magically possible and to my surprise found Lily cradling Harry on the floor next to an unconscious James. Yes, Sirius, they are alive, but extremely weak. The magic that was performed here tonight was possibly some of the most powerful magic performed in the last few centuries, if not ever. James and Lily used not only their incredible intelligence and magic ability but their love for each other and their son to interfere with Voldemort's curse. I'm surprised it didn't kill them. There is nothing that has made me happier to know that they pulled enough strength together to hold on to life for the few hours before I got here."

Sirius's eyes widened through Dumbledore's explanation.

"Well, what do we do now? We have to get them to a healer, to St. Mungo's, shouldn't we?" Sirius looked up into Dumbledore's blue eyes.

"Now, listen to me carefully, I have performed a few of the strongest healing charms I know, which isn't saying much, this will stop them from getting any worse, however, we do need to get them to a healer. I think it will be safest to apparate to St. Mungo's. Of course you'll have to hold onto young Harry and Lily and I'll take James. Understood?" Dumbledore cast a wary glance at Sirius before taking hold of James and dissapearing with a loud crack.

Sirius picked up Harry and then took hold of Lily with his free arm. He took a last glance around the destroyed home before dissapeared just like Dumbledore, with a loud crack.


	3. The Awakening

Chapter Two : The Awakening

It had been four days since the attack and the Potters were still at St. Mungo's. They were being extremely well looked after by the very best of the healers. Lily woke the day after the attack and was feeling fine, but exhausted. She had to take a "Strengthening Potion; for the Mind, Body and Soul" every 2 hours as not only was she physically drained, but mentally as well. She spent a lot of the time asleep, however, did spend her waking hours with James, while cradling Harry protectively. Unlike Lily, James has not yet awoken since the attack, although his condition had been confirmed stable bu the head healer, Charlie Rimport, he has not actually awoken. It seemed that the attack has been most draining for James, and Lily was finding it hard not having him there to talk to and simply be with. She has become exceptionally emotional and tears were seen gliding down her cheek when she was sitting with James. As for Harry, his health seemed to be doing well, although it was hard to ask a one-year-old boy how he was feeling.

Although Lily has asked Dumbledore and many of the most advanced wizards, witches and healers to try and remove the scar slashed across her son's forehead, all has been unsuccessful, the only result of their attempts was usually a hysterical Harry screaming his lungs out. Dumbledore has then spoken up and warned Lily against any further attempts at the removal of the scar. Lily has apprehensively agreed and instead of trying to rid her son of his scar, she began questioning Dumbledore. This however, was some thing that he had been expecting and was prepared to answer any question of Lily's that he could

Sirius was with the Potter's for the majority of the time and Lupin has left just today, since it was nearing the arrival of the full moon. Many others had visited, including James' family, his mother Sarah, his father George and his two younger sisters Claire and Ava. Many Hogwarts staff has also visited and all of the Potters friends from Hogwarts has either come in or sent owls. The Ministry has been pestering Lily since they had arrived at St. Mungo's and Dumbledore eventually put a stop to them entering the ward as it was causing Lily too much pain to re-live the night of the attack.

There were dozens of questions Lily was itching to ask Dumbledore but she wanted to wait for James to be there too. Lily has taken station in a chair next to James' bed, holding his hand in one arm while nursing and humming to Harry in the other. She sometimes placed Harry in James' lap when she needed a small break from him. It was around 8 o'clock when Sirius walked in, looking sleep ridden and frail. He had not taken the attack of his best friend's family well at all, but then who would?

"Hey Lily," he whispered softly as she stood up and he embraced her in a tight hid. He kissed her on the head softly before pulling away and looking down into her sad eyes,

"How are you feeling today?"

Lily spoke up, but it was no more than a once sweet, but now broken whisper,

"Same as yesterday," she began, and then continued, "and the day before."

Sirius nodded in understand and stepped toward the bed before grasping for his best mate's hand, then looking up to Lily.

"Any change Lil?"

Lily looked up, her eyes glassy with fresh tears and shook her head before taking her previous post next to James. Sirius released his grip on his friend's hand and moved toward the smiling Harry. He picked him up and swung him out in front of him.  
"Look at you," Sirius spoke, his own words etched with sadness, yet a hint of respect, "goofing around and drooling all over the place, you don't have a clue what's going on, go you bubs?" Sirius asked the baby, when he got no response he continued on, "you have no idea that you just defeated the most powerful dark wizard for centuries/of all time!" Sirius continued to marvel and gaze, amazed at the boy held before him,

"Little Harry Potter, the boy who _lived_," Sirius finished, with an emphasis on the word lived. He touched his hand to the scar on his forehead, "and to think…" Sirius muttered, before drifting off into his own thoughts. He placed the young boy back in his sleeping fathers lap before taking a seat on the other side of James' bed, and again clutching his free hand. Harry crawled awkwardly up on to his father's chest and lay down, apparently sleepy, as his mother and godfather grasped his father's hands.

Nobody in the room seemed to notice the arrival of Albus Dumbledore in the room, as he stood watching the scene before him, the scene that seemed to earn a place in this marvellous mans heart. Staring intently at James, Dumbledore could have sworn he saw James' eyelids flutter. Then Lily stood, still hanging on to her husbands hand and kissed him, before muttering something to Sirius about, "…time for my potion, got to feed Harry, I'll be back soon." She was just about to let of her grip on James' hand when he eyelids did indeed flutter open, Dumbledore stood quite as silent as before, still observing. Sirius, whose gaze has shifted to Lily picking Harry up, hadn't noticed either. Just as Lily was bending down to pick Harry up, James gave a heavy breath and the word "Lily" tumbled out into the side of her face. She snapped her head around immediately, sending her red hair flying, as did Sirius and spoke, with the sweetness that hadn't been heard for days, "I love you." James gave a weak but true smile.

And so it was that James Potter awoke after nearly five days of slumber, in the presence of the powerful love of the four most important people in his life, and heart; Sirius Black, his fellow Marauderer and lifelong best friend, Lily Evans, his one and only love and wife, Professor Albus Dumbledore, one of the most marvellous wizards of the time and ever loyal friend, and of course, his son; the extraordinary Harry Potter. The boy who lived.


	4. 9 Crimes

9 Crimes - I had no idea for a title for this chapter, and just so happened to be listening to 9 Crimes - Damien Rice when I wrote it, so yeah...

Albus Dumbledore was just as surprised as everyone else in the room when James awoke. No one had expected it, and they had all been prepared for the worst.

James had been awake for a few hours now and apart from being extremely weak, seemed to be doing fine, he would still need a few more days at St. Mungo's for recovery.

Sirius and Lily had left the room leaving a sleeping Harry on James' chest and Dumbledore alone.

"Albus, what happened to Voldemort? Is he alive? Dead? How…"

"James, we know how he found you, oh, I wish you had told me that you were changing your secret-keeper at the last minute…"

"Peter! I forgot, that's how he found us! Where is he now? Oh when I get my hands on him…" James' was getting frustrated now.

"James, calm down, calm down, we have that sorted. We found and captured Peter and he is being dealt with appropriately. However, what we do not know, is where the Dark Lord is, and whether is alive for certain. Do you have any recollection?"

James wrinkled his face in deep thought, trying his best to remember, "I don't…I can't remember much, its all a blur really, I blacked out earlier than Lily…"

Albus sighed and took a seat in the patched armchair beside James' bed and pushed the hair off Harry's face to reveal his scar, distractedly he told James, "…yes, that is what we feared. The answer lies in this little man…too bad he can't talk!" Dumbledore chuckled to himself.

James didn't quite find the humor in it, "So you mean Harry is the only one who really knows whether or not he's alive?"

"Well…I don't know…I don't even know if he would have been in contact with the closest of his followers. Did you hear they caught Bellatrix? Well, the Death Eaters seem to be in just as much shock as the rest of the wizarding world. For once in my life, I honestly can't tell you the correct answer James."

"Well, what are we going to do? What's the next step? Will me and Harry and Lil have to go into hiding again?" James was getting even more frustrated now.

"James…you musn't work yourself up, you need to relax and recover, we are still working on what to do next. At this stage, our conclusion is that the Dark Lord is not dead, but very, very weak, barely hanging on to life." Dumbledore looked at James with sorrowful eyes, "the one thing we do know, is if he is alive, he will be weak for a very long time, however after he has gained his strength and his following back, it can be assumed that he will want revenge…on you and Lily – "

"What about Harry?" James interrupted abrubtly.

Dumbledore's eyes saddened even further as he sighed, "and especially on Harry."

I know that it has been over a year since I last updated, so this may seem a little disjointed compared to what I was writing before, maybe. I know its short but I have so little time and at least it's something!

Review!


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